title: Characterization of rabbit UDP-glucuronosyltransferase UGT1A7: tertiary amine glucuronidation is catalyzed by UGT1A7 and UGT1A4.
abstract: A rabbit liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferase cDNA that is related to human and rat UGT1A7 has been identified. The predicted amino acid sequence of the UGT1A71 displays 80% similarity to that encoded by human HP4 (UGT1A9), but 81% to that predicted for human UGT1A7 and 77% to the rat UGT1A7 (UGTA2). The exons encoding human UGT1A7 and rat UGTA2 are the seventh of the series of cassette exons that flank the 3' common exon series of the UGT1A locus. Southern blot analysis demonstrates that the exon sequence encoding UGT1A71 is part of a larger cluster of highly related genes. The UGT1A71 RNA is expressed in both neonatal and adult liver, and unlike rat UGT1A2 which is inducible with Ah receptor ligands such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, rabbit UGT1A7 is not regulated when animals are exposed to these inducers. Following expression of UGT171 in COS-1 cells, glucuronidation activity was identified for small phenolic molecules like 4-nitrophenyl, bulky phenols as represented by 4-hydroxybiphenol and octylgallate, as well as 4-hydroxyestrone. In addition, UGT1A71 possesses catalytic activity toward tertiary amines like the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine. The pattern of UGT1A71 glucuronidation is similar to that observed for human UGT1A9, except tertiary amines are not subject to glucuronidation by human UGT1A9. Glucuronidation of tertiary amines is catalyzed principally by human UGT1A4 as well as rabbit UGT1A4. Although rabbit UGT1A7 catalyzes the formation of quarternary ammonium glucuronides, the Vmax is considerably less than that observed for rabbit UGT1A4. Overall, the characterization of rabbit UGT1A7 suggests that this protein represents the ortholog of the human UGT1A7, which to date has not been identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0636, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruck
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Tukey
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019556:COS Cells; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D005965:Glucuronates / Q000378:metabolism*; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010636:Phenols / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005965:Glucuronates; D010636:Phenols; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; C107611:UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, UGT1A7; D007099:Imipramine